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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Minnesota Honors Alaska Wildland Firefighter Who Died While Responding to Bear Trap Fire
Governor orders flags lowered after Leslie R. Washington suffered a fatal medical emergency while helping fight a wildfire in northeastern Minnesota
ELY, MN (August 15, 2026) Minnesota has formally honored Leslie R. Washington, an Alaska wildland firefighter who died after suffering a medical emergency while responding to the Bear Trap Fire in northeastern Minnesota.
Washington, a resident of Noorvik, Alaska, died August 11 while assigned to the wildfire response.
He worked for Scorched Earth Services and was assigned to the company’s K-River 2 crew, a Tribal firefighting team deployed in cooperation with the national wildland fire-response system.
FLAGS LOWERED ACROSS MINNESOTA
Governor Tim Walz ordered United States and Minnesota flags flown at half-staff at state buildings from sunrise until sunset Friday, August 14, in recognition of Washington’s service and sacrifice.
Washington and his fellow crew members traveled to Minnesota from communities across rural Alaska to help protect residents, property and natural resources.
The official Minnesota proclamation recognized firefighters from Huslia, Allakaket, Tanana, Ruby, Kaltag, Fairbanks, Fort Yukon, Venetie, Ambler, Selawik and Noorvik who answered the call to serve on wildfire assignments far from their homes.
MEMBER OF ALASKA’S INUPIAQ COMMUNITY
Washington was a member of the Inupiaq people of northwest Alaska. The proclamation recognized his connection to his family, the village of Noorvik and the broader Inupiaq community.
“The dedication of Mr. Washington, and of firefighters across Minnesota and the nation, is immeasurable as they stand ready to answer the call to protect what we hold dear,” the proclamation stated.
Wildland firefighters work under difficult and frequently dangerous conditions that can include extreme heat, smoke, shifting winds, rugged terrain and limited access to emergency medical services.
Interstate firefighting coordination allows specialized crews to be deployed when a state or region requires additional personnel. Washington and his crew traveled more than 2,500 miles from Alaska to assist Minnesota’s wildfire response.
MINNESOTA RECOGNIZES SERVICE AND SACRIFICE
The state expressed condolences to Washington’s family, friends, colleagues, the community of Noorvik and the Inupiaq people of the Northwest Arctic.
Although the half-staff order concluded Friday evening, Washington’s service and death remain recognized in Minnesota’s official records.
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